Scott Denounces Anti-Israel Incidents as Saudi F-35 Sale Threatens Israeli Air Force Edge

Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott denounced Jew-hatred and urged leaders across the political spectrum to consistently condemn antisemitism and bolster pro-Israel policies on Capitol Hill during a speech at the Jerusalem Post Washington Conference.

Scott argued that “anti-Israel voice is not the voice of America,” referring to the dramatic rise in anti-Israel and anti-Jewish incidents in the U.S. since the Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023.

“The normal person does not believe in hatred,” Scott stated, emphasizing that hatred, including antisemitism, should have no place in American society. He stressed that leaders must be clear that hatred and antisemitism in any form is wrong and call it out every single time.

Scott called on supporters of Israel in the U.S. to prioritize preserving bipartisan backing for Israel in Washington. “Everybody should know their senators and their House members. That matters,” he said, adding the importance of continuous engagement with lawmakers.

The senator emphasized that Israel remains America’s most important ally in the Middle East. “Israel is our number one ally in the Middle East,” Scott assessed, highlighting shared democratic values between the two nations.

“They are not asking us to put our men and women at risk. But if we do not fight for freedom and democracy around the world, it will be a very lonely place,” Scott warned.

Unlike other U.S. allies such as Japan, South Korea, and European nations, Israel has never asked Washington to deploy troops in the Middle East and Jerusalem has always defended itself by itself.

Scott concluded his remarks by warning that autocratic regimes including China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela “want to destroy our way of life, whether in Israel or in the United States.”

Last month, President Donald Trump announced his decision to authorize the sale of advanced fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, one of Washington’s main allies in the Sunni Arab world. “I am planning on doing it. They want to buy them, they’ve been a great ally,” Trump told media reporters.

The president confirmed: “Yeah, I will say that we will be doing that, we will be selling F-35s.”

Some pundits in Israel and America have raised concerns that the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia could potentially erode Israel’s military qualitative edge in the Middle East. The F-35 has played a critical role in Israel’s aerial superiority against Iran and other foes.

Even if the Saudis receive the F-35s in the near future, it will take time to train pilots to operate the advanced planes. By contrast, the Israeli Air Force has operated the F-35 since 2016 and has accumulated invaluable real-time battle experience in the past two years.

Additionally, Israeli F-35 fighter jets are considered more advanced than standard models due to cutting-edge Israeli technologies. Saudi Arabia and Israel currently do not have official diplomatic relations but reportedly played a central role in greenlighting the historic Abraham Accords of 2020 between Israel and several Middle Eastern nations.

Saudi Arabia has also signaled willingness to potentially normalize relations with Israel in the future.